(a) As used in this section, “abandoned cemetery” means a cemetery (1) in which no burial has occurred during the previous forty years and in which the lots or graves have not been maintained during the previous ten years except for maintenance rendered by the municipality in which such cemetery is located, (2) in which one burial has occurred in the past forty years, for which a permit was issued under section 7-65 after such burial, or (3) in which no lots have been sold in the previous forty years and in which most lots and graves have not been maintained during the previous ten years except for maintenance rendered by the municipality in which such cemetery is located.

(b) Any municipality may acquire an abandoned cemetery, including ownership of any occupied or unoccupied lots or grave sites in such cemetery. Such municipality may cause a survey of such cemetery to be completed in order to ascertain the extent of such cemetery. The municipality shall use due diligence in identifying any owners of the abandoned cemetery or any of the cemetery's occupied or unoccupied lots or grave sites and shall provide notice to such owners of the municipality's intention to acquire the abandoned cemetery. In the event that a municipality is unable to locate such an owner, the municipality shall publish notice of its intention to acquire the abandoned cemetery in a newspaper having a general circulation in such municipality. Such notice shall be published for a period of three consecutive weeks.

(c) The notice described in subsection (b) of this section shall give a basic description of the abandoned cemetery, by reference to the municipality's tax maps, and shall set a date and place where objections to the acquisition of the cemetery by the municipality will be heard.

(d) Any owner who receives notice pursuant to subsection (b) of this section may reassert his or her right of ownership over the abandoned cemetery, occupied or unoccupied lot or grave site, as applicable, by sending written notice of his or her objection to the municipality not later than fourteen days after his or her receipt of notice pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. Any owner who reasserts his or her rights pursuant to this subsection shall promptly comply with all municipal ordinances concerning such abandoned cemetery, occupied or unoccupied lot or grave site.

(e) In the event that no objection is received by the municipality pursuant to subsection (d) of this section not later than fifteen days after the last date of publication of the notice described in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, title to such abandoned cemetery and any occupied or unoccupied lots or graves shall vest in such municipality. Whenever title vests in a municipality pursuant to this subsection, such municipality shall record a confirmation of such vesting, including a basic description of the cemetery, on the land records of the municipality in which such cemetery is located.

(f) If title to an abandoned cemetery vests with a municipality pursuant to subsection (e) of this section, such municipality shall maintain title to such cemetery, shall not transfer title to such cemetery, and shall maintain the characteristics of such cemetery and make no changes in the use of such cemetery land. The municipality may appoint a superintendent or sexton for such cemetery pursuant to section 19a-297, and may appropriate funds as necessary for the care, maintenance and support of such cemetery.

(P.A. 09-232, S. 69; P.A. 10-18, S. 10.)

History: P.A. 09-232 effective July 8, 2009; P.A. 10-18 made a technical change in Subsec. (a)(2).